Big 12 Power Rankings updated after Week 4 of college football

The Big 12 Power Rankings are back after an exciting Week 4 of college football. Now, every single member of the Big 12 has played a conference game and the shape of the conference is starting to take shape better than ever.

These power rankings were determined by several members of the On3 staff. The purpose of these power rankings isn’t to regurgitate the standings within the conference. Instead, the purpose is to determine what teams are the best at this point in the season. That means this is a snapshot of where teams are right now and not a prediction of where they will finish.

So, here are the Big 12 Power Rankings following Week 4 of the 2023 college football season:

1. Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)

The Texas Longhorns remain on top of the Big 12 Power Rankings. After coming into the season as the favorites to win the conference, the Longhorns have done nothing but win and prove themselves to this point in the season. That included a dominant 38-6 win over Baylor this weekend.

Texas is going to get everyone’s best shot as the Longhorns work their way through Big 12 play. However, it’s hard not to see why the Longhorns are confident that they can make a run not just at the conference championship but the College Football Playoff too. Next up is going to be a tough game against Kansas.

2. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0, 1-0)

The Oklahoma Sooners dominated their non-conference schedule this season. However, the level of competition in that portion of the schedule wasn’t particularly tough. So, it was good to see Oklahoma go on the road and win against a conference opponent.

One of the most impressive things about Oklahoma this season has been the Sooners’ defense. Through four games, the Sooners are only allowing 8.5 points per game. After years of struggling to put an elite defense on the field, it looks like head coach Brent Venables has put together a dominant defense. There is still room for quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the offense to be more consistent. However, it’s a great start for Oklahoma.

3. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0, 1-0) (+2)

What Lance Leipold had done at Kansas is nothing short of miraculous. A few seasons ago, the idea of Kansas being ranked third in a power rankings for the Big 12 was nearly laughable. Now, it’s a very serious thing and the Jayhawks are demanding respect.

This weekend, Kansas got a win against a tough BYU team. Quarterback Jalon Daniels was, once again, excellent. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks’ defense managed to force three turnovers in what turned out to be an excellent game.

4. Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 1-0) (+2)

The Kansas State Wildcats went into Big 12 play with some concerns coming off a loss to Missouri. Beyond the loss, the Wildcats had injuries at running back and quarterback that could have slowed down the offense. Playing banged up, Will Howard responded by leading the offense to 44 points in a win over UCF.

It wasn’t a perfect game for Kansas State by any means, especially on the defensive side of the ball. However, the offense found a way to succeed consistently. A huge part of that was because of running back DJ Giddens, who ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns, potentially announcing himself as the program’s next great back.

5. BYU Cougars (3-1, 0-1) (-2)

The BYU Cougars slipped in the rankings after taking a loss against Kansas. However, that was a close game that the Cougars acquitted themselves well in a week after going on the road to beat Arkansas. So, there has been a lot to like about BYU lately.

BYU started this season on a three game winning streak. Despite that, it seemed like the Cougars were struggling at times until the Arkansas game. Now, BYU has established itself as playing some of the best football in the Big 12.

6. UCF Knights (3-1, 0-1) (-2)

In UCF’s first Big 12 conference game, self-inflicted mistakes caught up to the Knights. In a game where UCF struggled to get off the field on defense, the Knights took several bad penalties to extend drives and gave Kansas State short fields multiple times after turnovers. On top of that, quarterback Timmy McClain‘s decision making was questionable at times.

Despite all of that, UCF’s speed and talent helped keep it a close game in the fourth quarter before an offensive drive stalled awkwardly and the floodgates opened for the Wildcats. It’s hard not to imagine how different this game could have been if injuries weren’t taking their toll on UCF. Still, the Knights are looking forward to their game next week against Baylor.

7. TCU Horned Frogs (3-1, 1-0)

TCU played its first Big 12 conference game last week against Houston. In Week 4, the Horned Frogs returned to non-conference play against rival SMU. It ended up being a relatively easy 34-17 win over the Mustangs.

Despite playing in the national championship last season, TCU has been a little overlooked as the season goes on. Part of that is because of the opening loss that the Horned Frogs took against Colorado. However, that loss has since become more respectable while TCU hasn’t lost since that game.

8. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0) (+2)

Coming into the season, West Virginia was widely seen as one of the Big 12’s worst programs. Head coach Neal Brown was on the hot seat and many thought there was a good chance he wouldn’t make it through the season. Now, West Virginia is 3-1 with a win over rival Pitt and against Texas Tech.

The win over Texas Tech was a defensive battle that the Mountaineers struggled to find success throwing the ball in. However, with the home crowd behind the Mountaineers, West Virginia was able to win a close and physical game.

9. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-2, 0-1) (-1)

Nippert Stadium was alive on Saturday for Cincinnati’s first Big 12 game. Unfortunately, for Bearcat fans, Oklahoma came into town and won in convincing fashion. That left the Bearcats on a two game losing streak after starting the year with a couple wins and a lot of confidence.

In Scott Satterfield‘s first season at Cincinnati, there are clearly some transitional pains from the Luke Fickell era to now. One of the biggest questions likely comes down to the quarterback position. Satterfield brought in Emory Jones to take over at the quarterback position. After throwing four interceptions and no touchdowns in the last two games, it’s easy to be concerned about where the Cincinnati offense is going.

10. Iowa State Cyclones (2-2, 1-0) (+4)

Following Week 3, Iowa State was the last ranked team in the Big 12 Power Rankings. Then, the Cyclones went and managed to beat Oklahoma State. With that, the Cyclones moved up but weren’t able to get passed 10th in the rankings, despite a winning record in conference play.

In the win against Oklahoma State, Iowa State was able to find success on offense. However, after struggling in their previous two games, the Cyclones struggled enough on that side of the ball to make it a concern going forward.

11. Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-3, 0-1) (-2)

Before the season started, Texas Tech was a dark horse to make a run for a conference championship. However, the Red Raiders have gotten off to an incredibly slow start, losing three of their first four, including a loss in conference play to West Virginia. Now, head coach Joey McGuire is looking for a way to quickly turn things around.

Unfortunately, Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough was injured against West Virginia and is going to need surgery. So, McGuire and the Red Raiders will need to find a way to replace him going forward. In the loss to West Virginia, Behren Morton came into the game but struggled to play consistently.

12. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-2, 0-1) (-1)

Oklahoma State dropped its Big 12 conference opener against Iowa State and fell to .500 on the season. That comes after dropping a non-conference game against South Alabama. With that, concerns about where this Cowboys team is going this season are only growing.

One problem that Oklahoma State has had this season appears to be solved. That’s who the quarterback is going to be, after consistently playing three different quarterbacks in non-conference play. Alan Bowman was the only one to throw a pass in the Iowa State loss. He was inconsistent, but if he knows it’s his job then he should have a chance to improve.

13. Houston Cougars (2-2, 0-1)

The Houston Cougars played their first conference game against TCU in Week 3. That was a large loss to the Horned Frogs that dropped Houston to 1-2 on the season at that point. The Cougars then played Sam Houston State and bounced back in a big way, winning 38-7.

Houston is hoping that it’s back on track after that win and as the Cougars turn their attention back to Big 12 play. That’s going to come in the form of a road trip to Texas Tech in a game that both teams feel the need to win.

14. Baylor Bears (1-3, 0-1) (-2)

At 1-3, the Baylor Bears have had one of the most disappointing starts to the season so far. This week, the Bears were embarrassed at home by the Texas Longhorns. With that, Baylor fell all the way to the bottom of the Big 12 Power Rankings.

Unfortunately, for head coach Dave Aranda, the slow start to the season has put him on the hot seat. Baylor needs to turn things around quickly, now, or the season could quickly become a lost one. That attempt to turn things around will start next week on the road at UCF.

Big 12 conference play is in full swing now and teams are going to start separating themselves from one another. In some cases, that means establishing themselves on the top end of the conference. In other cases, it means they’re going to be at the bottom end of the conference.